Northwest briefly

SEATTLE – Hackers who broke into the University of Washington Medical Center’s computer didn’t get access to patient records. They were apparently just looking for some free storage space, university officials said.

An investigation has found that the hackers began entering the system in 2004, looking for spaces in the computer system to hide music files or other kinds of illegally obtained data, said Ira Kalet, security director for UW Medicine information-technology services.

Kalet said patient records are extremely hard to hack into without it being detected and so far there’s no evidence that any patient information was accessed.

The UW has not found the culprits, he said.

Associated Press

The chairwoman of a group challenging the Cowlitz Tribe’s La Center casino project said the leader of the tribe’s project threatened to embarrass her and her family in public if she did not ease her opposition to the project.

Kamie Biehl said she resigned from the Stand Up for Clark County Citizens group after a 20-minute phone conversation Feb. 7 with David Barnett, who is leading the tribe’s effort to build the $510 million resort and casino.

Biehl is seeking a protection order against Barnett. Her request is pending in Clark County District Court and is scheduled for a hearing Feb. 24. Barnett denies the allegations.

In a statement filed in court, Biehl accuses Barnett of telling her to remove certain documents from the Stand Up Web site or she “would regret it.”

Barnett also allegedly said he was developing a Web site with photos of her buying beer. She also said Barnett would accuse her son, Jakob, 15, of using drugs.

Biehl taped almost five minutes of the conversation. Biehl’s caller ID also shows Barnett’s phone number and the time of the call – 6 a.m. Biehl, 41, said she did not tell Barnett she was recording the conversation, a violation of state law.

The Daily News

The Kennewick School District has apologized to the mother of a 6-year-old boy who was overlooked when he fell asleep under a seat on a school bus.

The boy, Zeke Combs, fell asleep on the way to afternoon kindergarten around noon Friday, his birthday. He woke up when the bus was being used later in the afternoon for high school students.

It is the driver’s responsibility to walk through the bus after every run to check for stragglers, said Ethan Schwebke, the district’s transportation supervisor. “The driver failed to do that,” he said.

Schwebke said the driver has been disciplined. He declined to disclose the name of the driver.

Associated Press

Earlier this month, the Arkansas resident who found part of D.B. Cooper’s skyjacking loot in 1980 announced he was hoping to find a collector to buy the cache of historic cash.

His ex-wife is hoping that money will bring at least $64,000 – the amount Oklahoma Department of Human Services officials say Brian Ingram owes his first wife and 12-year-old daughter after years of unpaid child support.

On Tuesday, Barbara Hatfield, managing attorney for the department’s El Reno, Okla., Child Support Office, filed documents asking the Canadian County, Okla., district attorney to issue a felony warrant for Ingram’s arrest.

Brian Baker, the state agent in charge of the Office of Special Investigations in Oklahoma City, said Ingram owes $64,1778, and the amount is growing at the rate of $593 a month.

Ingram, who lives in Mena, Ark., could not be reached for comment. He does not have a listed telephone number, and an attempt to reach him through the attorney who is working on the possible sale of the Cooper loot was unsuccessful.

The Columbian